Hirono, Kelly Lead Bill to Repeal Federal Private School Voucher Program, Keep Public Dollars in Public Schools

WASHINGTON, D.C. -U.S. Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ) led 28 of their colleagues in introducing the Keep Public Funds in Public Schools Act, legislation that would repeal the school voucher provisions tucked into the Republican-passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which created the first-ever federal private school voucher program.

The new, permanent federal private school voucher program created by Trump and Republicans in Congress lets individuals claim a dollar-for-dollar tax credit for donations up to $1,700 to organizations that fund private K-12 tuition. The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policies warns that the program could cost taxpayers tens of billions of dollars per year-far more than official estimates suggest.

"As the Trump administration continues its all-out, coordinated attack on public education, its newly-created national school voucher program will harm our public schools by diverting critical resources that could otherwise be used to support students," said Senator Hirono. "I am proud to co-lead the Keep Public Funds in Public Schools Act, which would help to ensure that all students have access to a quality, public education-regardless of their circumstances."

The Keep Public Funds in Public Schools Act would repeal Section 25F of the Internal Revenue Code added in the Republican-passed tax bill, eliminating both the tax credit for contributions to scholarship granting organizations and the associated income exclusion, which would become effective in 2027.

The legislation is endorsed by over 50 state organizations throughout the country and over 80 national organizations, including the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), All4Ed, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Council for Learning Disabilities, Empowering Pacific Islander Communities (EPIC), Legal Defense Fund, NAACP, National Coalition on School Diversity, Network for Public Education, and UnidosUS. The full lists of endorsing organizations are available here and here.

In addition to Senators Hirono and Kelly, the Keep Public Funds in Public Schools Act is cosponsored by Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Chris Coons (D-DE), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), John Fetterman (D-PA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Angus King (I-ME), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

The full text of the legislation is available here.

For the past year, Senator Hirono has fighting back against the Trump Administration's attacks on public education. Last month, Senator Hirono held a press conference to mark one year of Donald Trump's all-out attack on the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to raise alarms about how the administration has shortchanged students, teachers, administrators, and federal workers. Senator Hirono has also hosted five spotlight forums, bringing together educators, students, administrators, advocates, and experts, to demonstrate the widespread consequences of ED rollbacks. One of the spotlight forums she hosted last year focused on the harmful consequences of Republicans' "Big Beautiful Bill" for public school students across the country, including the provision that would create a national school voucher program. More recently, Senator Hirono also held a K-12 education roundtable with local education leaders and groups to discuss the U.S. Department of Education's (ED) recent decision to transfer dozens of federal education programs to other federal agencies.

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